March 5, 2025 | Brendan Da Costa

Fast Facts About Michael Schumacher, Formula One’s Fiercest Competitor


He Pushed The Limits—Too Far

Michael Schumacher is the Formula One race car driver who rewrote the record books in burnt rubber and left his rivals in the dust. But beneath the trophies and triumphs was a racer willing to push himself (and the rules) to the limits—and beyond.

1. He Was Born With Racing In His Blood

Michael Schumacher entered the world on January 3, 1969, in the small town of Hürth in West Germany. His father, Rolf, was a bricklayer by trade but had a deep love for motorsports, eventually managing a karting track. His mother, Elisabeth, wasn’t far from the action either—she ran the canteen at the track. While other kids played with toy cars, Schumacher was already eyeing the real thing.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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2. He Crashed His First Car—At Four Years Old

Well before he ever took a driver’s test, at four years old, Schumacher was already behind the wheel of a motorized kart. His father, eager to encourage his son’s passion, attached a small motorcycle engine to a pedal kart. Of course, it didn’t take long for the young speed demon to lose control—sending himself straight into a lamp post.

However, instead of putting the brakes on his racing dreams, his parents took him to the local track. From that moment on, racing would never be the same.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

3. He Won His First Championship At Just Six Years Old

With parents in the racing business, Schumacher practically lived at the racetrack—and it showed. By six years old, he was already blowing past the competition, winning his first club championship. However, his family struggled to put food on the table, never mind engines for karts. Thankfully, the tot’s talents captured the attention of some local businessmen who became his first sponsors.

Unfortunately, he would face another roadblock.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

4. He Bent The Rules To Get On The Track

German regulations nearly derailed Schumacher’s early success. The regulations stated that kart drivers needed a license to race. And Schumacher was just 12. Impatient as ever, Schumacher found a way around that little problem: he went to Luxembourg where he could obtain a license two years ahead of schedule. By 1987, he became both the German and European karting champion.

His next move? Quitting school to work as a mechanic while chasing his dream.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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5. He Kicked Off A Legendary Rivalry In A Dirty Move

Schumacher’s path to Formula One wasn’t just fast—it was aggressive. In 1990, he competed in the Macau Grand Prix, a race known for tight corners and big risks. As Mika Häkkinen attempted to overtake him, Schumacher blocked the move, forcing Häkkinen to crash from behind. While his rival’s race ended in disaster, Schumacher powered through—crossing the finish line in first place.

The controversial maneuver ignited a fierce rivalry between the two that would burn for a decade.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

6. He Almost Got Punched In The Pits

Schumacher had quickly developed a reputation for aggressive driving. But in 1991 in Nürburgring, he took things too far. While pushing for a flying lap, he encountered another driver moving too slowly. Instead of letting it slide, Schumacher swerved into the other car, making deliberate contact. Furious, the other driver stormed into the pits, abandoned his car, and chased Schumacher on foot.

It took Schumacher’s teammate, Jochen Mass, and several mechanics to hold the driver back before he could land a punch.

Michael Schumacher at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prixemperornie on Flickr., CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

7. He Lied His Way Into Formula One

Schumacher’s official Formula One debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix was just as controversial as his early career. His manager, Willi Weber, assured the Jordan-Ford team that Schumacher knew the notoriously difficult Spa-Francorchamps circuit inside and out. The truth? He had only seen it as a spectator.

But he had a strange way of preparing for the big race.

Michael Schumacher - September 1991Fotopedia.com, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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8. He Practiced On A Bicycle

With race day approaching, Schumacher had little time to get to know the notoriously difficult track. His training method was, to say the least, unique. Schumacher grabbed a fold-up bike and cycled around the track to learn the layout. And clearly, it worked. After qualifying for the race, journalists were already calling him “the best talent since Stefan Bellof”.

He was so fast, no one saw him coming.

Michael Schumacher on an eTricks in 2010.DPA, Wikimedia Commons

9. He Made His Rivals Nervous

By 1992, Schumacher wasn’t just turning heads in the stands as his car zoomed by. He had his competition shaking in their cockpits. After a series of stunning finishes, Ayrton Senna’s close friend Jo Ramírez revealed that the three-time world champion considered Schumacher “the next big threat, way ahead of all the other drivers around at the time”.

It was a rare admission from the fiercely competitive Senna, proving that Schumacher’s rise was more than just hype—it was inevitable.

Screenshoot of Ayrton Senna looking at side - from Senna (2010)Universal, Senna (2010)

10. He Won His First Championship In A Lemon

In 1994, Schumacher clinched his first Formula One Drivers’ Championship. And there was no doubt that it was the driver, not the car, that secured victory. The F1 community considered Schumacher’s  Benetton B194 to be one of the worst cars ever to win a race. In fact, it was such a bad vehicle that three of Schumacher’s teammates all flamed out in it.

There was nothing to stop him.

Michael Schumacher - Benetton B193B During Practice For The 1993 British Grand PrixMartin Lee, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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11. He Drove An Entire Race In Fifth Gear

Schumacher might have been stuck in first place—but his car was stuck in fifth. At the 1995 Spanish Grand Prix, a gearbox failure forced Schumacher’s car into fifth gear. While most other drivers would have retired from the race, Schumacher pulled off two “flawless pit stops” and still finished in second place.

Suffice to say, he raced by his own rules.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

12. He Ignored A Black Flag—And Paid The Price

At the 1994 British Grand Prix, Schumacher overtook one of his competitors during the formation lap—a move that the FIA prohibited. When the flag marshal waved a black flag at Schumacher, signaling for him to go immediately to the pits, Schumacher simply continued driving—and winning. His team, Benetton, later insisted that it had simply been a “communication error”.

That was just the first lap of the feud between racing officials and Schumacher.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

13. He Lost A Win Over A Tiny Piece Of Wood

Schumacher was ready to pop the champagne and top the podium when he won the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix. The FIA, however, had other ideas. After the race, the FIA disqualified Schumacher, claiming that his car had additional weight that helped him to take corners faster. Most believed that the decision was politically motivated.

Still, Schumacher was too fast to forget.

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14. He Had The Lead Until…

In the final race to determine the 1994 World Championship, Schumacher led the second position racer, Damon Hill, by a single point. All throughout the race, Schumacher had dominated, all but ensuring that he would cruise to his first World Championship…until he made one devastating error.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

15. He Crashed Into His Opponent

Schumacher made a crucial mistake in the final minutes of the race when he clipped the guardrail and damaged his car. As Hill, his competitor for the top position, tried to pass, Schumacher turned in—causing a collision that took both cars out. With neither driver finishing, Schumacher was crowned champion, becoming the first German to win a Formula One title.

But not everyone was celebrating the win.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

16. He May Have Crashed Deliberately

The racing world was divided over Schumacher’s controversial win. Some, particularly those in the British media, pilloried Schumacher and accused him of having sabotaged Hill deliberately to secure his championship. Racing officials, however, ruled that Schumacher’s maneuver had been an accident as he attempted to recover from hitting the guardrail.

He’d just have to swerve on his haters.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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17. He Crushed The Competition To Defend His Title

After the drama of 1994, Schumacher left nothing to chance in 1995. He clinched yet another World Championship, winning nine races and finishing a staggering 33 points ahead of Damon Hill. At just 26, Schumacher had already become the youngest two-time world champion in history. His next move, however, left even his most ardent fans utterly confused.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

18. He Floored It With Ferrari

By 1996, Schumacher had conquered Formula One—but he wanted a new challenge. He stunned the racing world by signing with Ferrari, a team that hadn’t won a Drivers’ Championship since 1979 because of cars that the industry called “undriveable” and “[accidents] waiting to happen”. But, for a cool $60 million, Schumacher was up to the challenge.

That wasn’t the only team he joined.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

19. He Kept His Private Life Out Of The Fast Lane

For all his fame on the track, Schumacher never craved the celebrity lifestyle. For example, in August 1995, he married Corinna Betsch, and together they built a life away from the cameras. The couple welcomed a daughter and a son in 1997 and 1999 respectively, far away from prying media eyes.

That’s not to say that his private life wasn't glamorous.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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20. He Lived Like A Champion

After a brief stint in Monaco, Schumacher moved his family to a quieter—dare we say, slower—location. He eventually settled in a mansion in Switzerland with a private beach on Lake Geneva. But the real perks were under the hood. Schumacher’s house included an underground garage, complete with an authentic, vintage Shell fuel pump.

He wasn’t filling up his tank with regular gasoline.

Michael Schumacher in an ad photo for Audemars Piguet watches - 2013Nymans Ur, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

21. His Car Couldn’t Keep Up With Him

Just as everyone had feared, Schumacher’s first season with Ferrari in 1996 went about as smoothly as a bicycle down a dirt road. His car was famously unreliable, forcing him to retire from nearly half the races. Even at the French Grand Prix, where he took pole position, his engine failed before the race even started.

Like any true champion, he was determined to win.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

22. He Lapped His Competitors In A Lemon

Whenever Schumacher’s car didn’t let him down, he proved that he could win a race in anything that had four wheels and an engine. In 1996, despite the technical difficulties, he sped to victory in three races, bringing more trophies to Ferrari than they had seen in years. On the rain-slicked track in the Spanish Grand Prix, he even lapped most of the other racers to prove his dominance.

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23. He Entered The Fiercest Competition Of His Life

The 1997 season delivered one of Formula One’s most heated rivalries between Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve. However, despite competing for the championship, they almost never shared the podium and rarely battled on track. Yet the tension was unmistakable. The season built up to an explosive finale—literally.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

24. He Rammed His Opponent

Heading into the final race of 1997, Schumacher and Villeneuve were locked in a championship showdown. But as the race unfolded, Schumacher’s Ferrari began losing performance due to a coolant leak. Sensing an easy pass, Villeneuve moved to overtake on lap 48. And that’s when everything went sideways.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

25. His Plan Backfired

Seeing Villeneuve coming up on him, Schumacher made a bold decision: he swerved directly into his championship rival. The move backfired spectacularly. After ramming Villeneuve, Schumacher’s car ended up in the gravel, forcing him to retire from the race. Meanwhile, Villeneuve hobbled into third place, securing the World Championship.

Schumacher lost more than just the crown.

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26. He Faced His First DQ

Schumacher’s attempted takedown of Villeneuve didn’t just cost him the race—it cost him his place in the history books. Initially, race stewards ruled the crash a racing incident and took no action. But two weeks later, they changed their minds. In an unprecedented move, they disqualified Schumacher from the entire Drivers’ Championship, claiming that he had acted “deliberately” but not “maliciously”.

Even he couldn’t deny it.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

27. He Admitted His Mistake—Eventually

At first, Schumacher defended his aggressive maneuver. But, once he saw the footage of the crash, he couldn’t deny the obvious and admitted that he had made a mistake. Even so, public opinion was divided. Some newspapers condemned him, while others pointed out that Villeneuve had been driving recklessly himself.

But the controversy was far from over.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

28. He Pushed His Opponent To Victory

Years later, even Villeneuve himself acknowledged that he “would never have made that corner without [Schumacher’s] push”. As for Schumacher, time softened his perspective. By 2009, he admitted that if he could relive his career, he’d “do some things differently,” specifically citing Jerez 1997 as a moment he wished he could take back.

But that wasn’t even his most disastrous crash.

Jacques Villeneuve, Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, 1996Rdikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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29. He Couldn’t See In The Rain

Schumacher was on the verge of winning the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix when disaster struck. He was coming up on an opponent, David Coulthard, whom he had lapped. Coulthard, knowing that he couldn’t win, decided to slow down his McLaren and let Schumacher pass. However, poor visibility due to rain caused a horrific scene.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

30. He Rear-Ended His Rival

Instead of gliding past Coulthard, Schumacher slammed into the back of the McLaren. The crash was bad enough to tear a wheel off, forcing Schumacher to retire just before clinching victory. Furious, he stormed into the McLaren garage, ready to fight Coulthard and accusing him of sabotaging his win. It took all of his team to hold him back.

But they couldn’t protect him from everything.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

31. He Got Injured Chasing The Championship

By 1999, Schumacher had dragged Ferrari back to championship contention. But their cars were still “[accidents] waiting to happen”, and Schumacher was about to find that out the hard way. At the British Grand Prix, a rear brake failure caused Schumacher to lose control of his vehicle at high speed. He then rammed into the barrier, breaking his leg and ending his Championship hopes for the season.

He would return with a vengeance.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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32. He Came Back From Injury Like He Never Left

Schumacher’s broken leg kept him off the track for eight months. However, when he returned to the wheel of his Ferrari, it was as though he had never left. During a test at Mugello—one of the toughest circuits in the world—Schumacher was immediately on pace, just tenths of a second behind his teammates. A few laps later, he was half a second faster.

Eddie Irvine summed it up best: “It’s just impossible”.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

33. He Didn’t Always Deserve The Win

The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix was one of Schumacher’s most controversial wins—because it wasn’t really his. His teammate, Rubens Barrichello, had dominated all weekend, but in the final meters of the race, Ferrari ordered him to slow down and let Schumacher win. Even as Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the top step of the podium, the crowd booed their disapproval.

Perhaps, it was time for him to move on.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

34. He Couldn’t Fight With a “Blunted Weapon”

By 2005, Formula One had changed the rules—and not in Schumacher’s favor. A new regulation required tires to last an entire race, heavily benefiting Schumacher’s rivals. After several frustrating results, Schumacher admitted defeat: “I don’t think I can count myself in this battle anymore. It was like trying to fight with a blunted weapon”.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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35. He Was Ready To Hand Over The Reigns

After winning the Italian Grand Prix in 2006, Schumacher made it official: He was retiring at the end of the season. Ferrari issued a statement confirming that the legendary driver would be stepping away from the track and handing over the wheel. Not without one last dramatic race, of course.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

36. He Dropped Down To 19th Place

Schumacher’s final race at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was pure drama. After an early puncture sent him tumbling to 19th place, 70 seconds behind the pack leader, his chances looked hopeless. But, even this late in his career, Schumacher still had the need for speed—and the moves to back it up.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

37. He Made An Astonishing Comeback

In one of his most spectacular comebacks, Schumacher carved through the field, overtaking rivals and teammates alike for an astonishing fourth place finish. The press hailed Schumacher’s driving as “utterly breathtaking” and called it “a performance that sums up his career”. In truth, nothing could do justice to his legendary run.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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38. He Left Formula One As #1

When Schumacher retired at the end of 2006, he didn’t just leave as a champion—he left as the most dominant driver in Formula One history. With 91 wins over the course of his career, he nearly doubled his nearest rival, Alain Prost. He also set an astonishing 31 records, including most championships (7), most consecutive titles (5), and most wins with a single team (72 with Ferrari).

And just because he was retiring, didn’t mean he was slowing down.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

39. He Swapped Four Wheels For Two

Never one to sit still, Schumacher turned to motorcycle racing, following his retirement from Formula One. Despite having spent his entire career in cars, he proved he wasn’t just fast on four wheels. At a Superbike cup race at the Pannónia-Ring, he stunned spectators by finishing third out of 27 riders, trailing only the most successful motorbike champions.

Then he learned a hard lesson.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

40. He Fell From His Bike At 135 MPH

In 2009, Schumacher was trying to advance his motorcycle racing career when he was testing for the German team, Holzhauer Racing. But, while whipping around a circuit in Cartagena, Spain at 135 mph, Schumacher took a nasty fall. The high-speed accident had fans convinced that the fastest man on Earth had flamed out.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

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41. He Walked Away Unscathed—Or So He Thought

To everyone’s amazement, Schumacher sprung up from the high-speed crash as though nothing had happened. When he later went to the hospital, doctors released him, citing only minor injuries. However, the damage was worse than anyone knew—and foreshadowed an even worse crash in his future.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

42. He Came Out Of Retirement

Try as he might, Schumacher couldn’t shake the need for speed. In December 2009, he shocked the world by announcing his return to Formula One with the newly formed Mercedes GP team. At 41 years old, Schumacher was back, declaring, “I want to have fun out there…The challenge is what I look for”.

The challenge is what he’d get.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

43. He Lost A Gear Or Two

Schumacher’s highly anticipated comeback got off to a slow start at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. After impressing in practice, the race showed that, in three years, Schumacher had lost a gear. He finished the race in sixth, trailing his younger teammate. Retired driver Stirling Moss bluntly suggested Schumacher was “past it”.

His old rival Damon Hill, however, warned, “You should never write Schumacher off”.

Michael Schumacher at Hockenheim - 2010Rodefeld, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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44. He Was Going The Wrong Way

Schumacher’s return to Formula One wasn’t just a struggle—it was nearly fatal. On the very first lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Schumacher took a bad turn and spun around so that his car was facing the oncoming racers. He barely had enough time to see Vitantonio Liuzzi’s car hurtling towards him.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

45. He Nearly Lost His Head

Liuzzi crashed head-on into Schumacher’s car. The overwhelming impact sent Liuzzi’s car on top of Schumacher’s, barely missing the legendary racer’s head. Somehow, that was hardly the worst part of his year. By the end of the season, Schumacher had finished ninth in the standings, with no wins, poles, podiums, or fastest laps.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

46. He Walked Away From Formula One—For Good

After three seasons with Mercedes, Schumacher knew it was time to step away. In October 2012, just days before the Japanese Grand Prix, he announced his second and final retirement. This time, there was no comeback on the horizon. “There were times in the past few months,” he confessed, “in which I didn’t want to deal with Formula One or prepare for the next Grand Prix”.

After a record-breaking career and an unsuccessful return, Schumacher was ready to leave the sport behind.

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47. He Was In Rough Shape

Many wondered why Schumacher’s second stint in Formula One never reached the heights of his Ferrari glory days. Some blamed age, others the three-year break. The truth, however, was that Schumacher just wasn’t the same. Journalist Mark Hughes pointed the finger at Schumacher’s 2009 motorcycle accident.

While initial assessments had cleared Schumacher, the high-speed crash had left him with “damaged neurons” and a severe neck injury, one that was “fatal in 90 percent of cases”

It’s not like he needed the money anyway.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

48. He Was The First Billionaire Athlete

For all of his crashes, Schumacher’s career at Formula One was insanely lucrative, making him one of the richest athletes of all time. For two consecutive years, Forbes named him the world’s highest-paid athlete. And by 2005, EuroBusiness magazine crowned him the first billionaire athlete in history.

Sadly, no amount of money could save him from what came next.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

49. He Had A Hard Landing

On December 29, 2013, Schumacher’s life took a tragic turn when he became involved in a horrible crash—and he wasn’t even on the track. While skiing with his 14-year-old son, Mick, in the French Alps, he strayed into an unsecured off-piste section. Even as an experienced skier, there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened next.

Schumacher hit an exposed rock, causing him to lose control and sending him hurtling through the air. When he landed, he hit his head on a rock with so much force that his helmet split in half.

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50. His Helmet Saved His Life

Schumacher was initially able to get up from the accident. However, medics at the scene noted that he was incoherent and displaying “erratic” behavior. It wasn’t until he arrived at Grenoble Hospital in a coma that the true extent of his injuries became devastatingly clear. Noting that his prospects looked grim, doctors immediately took Schumacher into surgery.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

51. He Wasn’t Ready To Cross Life’s Finish Line

To stabilize Schumacher’s condition, doctors placed him in a medically induced coma due to the severity of his traumatic brain injury. For months, his prognosis remained uncertain as doctors noted that, had it not been for his helmet, he would certainly not have survived the accident. Fortunately, by March 2014, small but encouraging signs of recovery began to appear.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

52. He Retreated Into Secrecy

After a few months, Schumacher’s doctors withdrew the sedation and agreed to transfer him from Grenoble Hospital to Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland for further rehabilitation. Three months later, he was finally allowed to return home, where his family continued his care under a cloak of secrecy imposed by his wife and manager.

The rumors were almost as fast and furious as he had been.

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53. His Family Said Little About Him

By late 2014, distressing reports emerged that Schumacher was “paralyzed and in a wheelchair”, had lost the ability to speak and was suffering from “memory problems”. Schumacher’s inner circle did little to dispel the rumors, saying only that he was improving “considering the [severeness] of the injury he had”.

His therapy was unique.

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

54. He Watched Formula One To Recover

Years passed before former Ferrari boss Jean Todt—one of the few people allowed to visit Schumacher—offered a rare glimpse into his condition. Todt confirmed what little the public already knew; that Schumacher was “making good progress” even as he had difficulty communicating. The one silver lining was that Schumacher was well enough to watch Formula One on television.

Or was he?

Screenshot of Michael Schumacher from documentary - Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)F1 TV, Michael Schumacher: The Making of a Legend (2019)

55. He Was An AI Android?

Following his skiing accident, Schumacher’s family fiercely guarded his privacy, offering little public information about his condition. But in April 2023, Die Aktuelle crossed the line. The magazine published what it claimed was an exclusive interview with Schumacher, featuring quotes about his health and family.

However, at the very end of the article, it admitted that the entire interview had been fabricated using AI. The backlash was immediate.

Michael Schumacher during the F1 driver's parade at the 2010 Belgian Grand PrixNic Redhead, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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56. His Family Settled

Schumacher’s family wasted no time in responding to Die Aktuelle’s outrageous stunt. They swiftly announced plans to sue the publication, leading to the firing of the magazine’s editor. Ultimately, the case was settled, with the magazine’s owner agreeing to pay the Schumacher family €200,000 in damages.

It seemed everyone wanted a piece of him.

Michael Schumacher at 2005 United States Gp.Ryosuke Yagi, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

57. He Was Betrayed

As if the Schumacher family hadn’t endured enough, a shocking betrayal came to light. Markus Fritsche, Schumacher’s former bodyguard, attempted to blackmail the family with private images, videos, and medical records that he had pilfered from them. Fortunately, authorities tracked down Fritsche before he could expose the sensitive information.

Schumacher’s legacy was still intact.

Michael Schumacher, United States Grand Prix, Austin 2012Gussisaurio, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

58. His Legacy Lives On

Even if Schumacher will never fly down the fast lane again, his Formula One legacy lives on. Not only do many of his records still stand, but the Schumacher name still whips around the racetrack. His son Mick, brother Ralf, and nephew David, are or were all Formula One royalty.

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Michael Schumacher smiling while winking - 2010Andy Whittle, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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